76. 
Title: [Six Geese A-Slaying]
Author: Donna Andrews
Pages: 336
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Pre-ordered
Date Completed: November 3, 2013
Rating: ****

I think Donna Andrews is one author who can write a mystery involving churches that leaves me feeling amused as opposed to alienated.  There's little preaching and plenty of cheer as members of various denominations band together to lend a hand when a series of pranks renders some sanctuaries inhabitable during the Christmas season.  As usual, there is a perfectly detestable deceased and a likewise repugnant culprit.  Although I held out hope for a different outcome, I knew it was unlikely to come, and am no less charmed for Andrews' own authorial choices. 

I tend to balk at anything winter-holiday until after Thanksgiving, but Andrews has given me a bit of holiday cheer that may carry me through the long weeks at the end of the semester. 

76. 
Title: [Oedipus Rex]
Author: Sophocles
Pages:
Genre: Drama
Medium: Fitts edition
Acquisition: work text
Date Completed: November 3, 2013
Rating: *****

I've found there are a few works that just don't seem to grow stale, and Oedipus Rex is one of these.  I look forward to teaching it every semester, and leading students through all the devious twists and turns.  One of my favorite tasks is tracing the changes in the tone of the Chorus, and considering whether or not they are in part to blame for the drama's outcome. 

I am, however, a bit suspicious about this particular translation, but it seems like a bit of a standard. 

18.
Title: [Oedipus the King]
Author: Sophocles
Pages: 100 pages
Genre: Greek Tragedy
Medium: Anthology - [Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, & Writing]
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: February 7, 2012
Rating:

It never loses its charm.

85.
Author: Keri Arthur
Title: [Darkness Unbound]
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Supernatural
Acquisition:
Date: November 1, 2011
Rating: ****

I've had a love/hate relationship with Keri Arthur's Riley Jensen series, although I've enjoyed the later books more than the previous, which probably explains why I was tempted to pick up the spin-off series, Dark Angels. In the first, Darkness Unbound, the reader is introduced to a grown Risa - the daughter of a cloned clairvoyant werewolf first introduced in the Riley Jensen series. Risa is an odd character for this style of book, as her primary characteristics include her wealth and her lack of connection to the major races in Arthur's world. The plot itself was a bit chaotic at times; it's obvious that Arthur is leaving several threads she can pick up as the series develops. Not bad for the first in a series, but not overly compelling, either.

86.
Author: Shakespeare
Title: [Othello]
publication: Anthology
Pages:
Genre: Drama
Acquisition:
Date: November 1, 2011
Rating: *****

87.
Author: Sophocles
Title: [Oedipus Rex]
publication: Anthology
Pages:
Genre: Drama
Acquisition:
Date: November 1, 2011
Rating: *****

Yes, again - my ESL course is reading it later than my other courses. Othello will make another appearance on my reading list when I read it again in a couple weeks.

72.
Author: Ann K. Levine. Esq.
Title: The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert
publication: Kindle
Pages
Genre: nonfiction, law
Acquisition:
Date: September 11, 2011
Rating: *****

Ann K. Levine's The Law School Admission Game is a brilliant work which aims to help individuals navigate the nuanced and complicated world of law school applications. Experienced both as a student and working on Admission boards herself, Levine offers straight-forward advice in a clear (and often blunt) fashion that is easy to navigate. The text offers advice on everything from application dates to the personal statement, and Levine does not hesitate to share why she would dismiss applications as well as what kind of applications stand out best. Personally, I learned quite a bit, and felt that the information provided would help me prepare the strongest application possible.

It also helped me come to terms with the demands of both law school and the resulting career, ultimately forcing me to acknowledge that law is not a path I can pursue and still maintain the kind of home life that is most important to me. Despite a powerful interest and desire, the Monsters come first here; I'm just glad I realized that before putting in the time and money to apply to, and possibly attend, law school.

71.
Author: Sophocles
Title: Oedipus the King
publication: paperback
Pages
Genre: classical
Acquisition: work text
Date: September 11, 2011
Rating: no rating

My bi-annual reading of Sophocles' delicious tragedy, translated by Dudley Fitts.

12.
Author(s): Sophocles
Title: Oedipus the King
Publication: Literary Anthology
Pages:
Genre: Greek Drama
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: February 6,2011
Rating:

Another work reread, and another constant favorite. My students and I always have a good time with Oedipus Rex.


13.
Author(s): Victoria Thompson
Title: Murder on St. Mark's Place
Publication: Kindle Edition
Pages:
Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: February 8,2011
Rating: 3.75 stars

Murder on St. Mark's Place is the second cozy mystery in the series by Victoria Thompson, featuring midwife Sarah Brandt and he unlikely partner Frank Malloy. The novel delivers more on character development than actual plot, but Thompson's humanizing efforts set the stage for future interest. The "mystery" itself is highly predictable from the go, but the novel itself is no less enjoyable.

16.
Author: Sophocles
Title: Oedipus the King
Publication: included in Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing.
Pages: 37 pages
Genre: Classical
Acquisition: Work text
Date Completed: February 14, 2010
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

In a play originally written for the Great Dionysia, Sophocles presents the tragedy that occurs when a man attempts to flee his fate, only to run into it head-first.

The original audience, like the modern audience, knew the conclusion before the production itself ever began. What makes Sophocles' drama so compelling isn't the narrative, but how he chooses to tell the story. Sophocles' Oedipus is at once a loving, paternal king and an insecure man with a violent temper. In Oedipus the King his character is carefully developed so that readers can understand how much a dedicated ruler is capable of slaughtering an old man and his company for a slight on the highway. While the citizens of Thebes raised Oedipus to godlike stature after the defeat of the sphinx, Sophocles reveals that Oedipus is just a man, and a greatly flawed one at that.

One of the aspects I personally find most interesting is the hierarchy of sin as presented in Oedipus the King. From the beginning the crime of murder seems to control the dramatic flow, as the oracle's proclamation points to the unavenged murder of King Laios as the motivation for Apollo's curse. However, as knowledge spreads throughout the principle cast it is revealed that incest is the greatest sin that can be laid at Oedipus' feet. His relationship with Jocasta takes center stage, and causes the greatest repugnance in the cast. In a twisting moment the Chorus shifts from condemning Oedipus to cursing Jocasta, and the tragic events of the play flow from mother to son.

Oedipus the King, as translated by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald, is an elegant work of literature that treats audiences to the humanizing of myth, and the chance to witness a true fall from grace.

Challenges
75-Book Challenge: Book 16
1010 Challenge: Field-Related Book 2
Off-the-shelf:

12. Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island. 303 pages. 2.4.09.*

Stevenson's classic treasure hunt is a story that will always be remembered in cultural history. Generations of readers can easily relate to Jim's adventures, and will find it easy to navigate through the narrative itself, despite evolving vocabulary, speech patterns, and usage. Full of charming characters such as Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins, adventure, treasure, pirates and intrigue, Treasure Island is a treat for all ages.

13. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. 37 pages. 2.9.09.+

Rereading - and teaching - Oedipus Rex as an adult was an interesting experience. While I am always a bit wary of translations, the text itself (as translated by Robert Fitzgerald) is rich with literary devices, and the use of foreshadowing is especially poignant. Sophocles adeptly leads his audience through a series of emotions, guiding responses and perceptions with ease. One characteristic of the play that I found most thought-provoking was the removal of violence. While I'm sure this was done in part to accommodate the logistics of the ancient Greek stage (how would you show someone hanging, for example), I can't help but feel it was also done in order to allow the audience to focus on the emotionally-charged consequences as opposed to the gore that is Oedipus' fate. A wonderful work.